Mid-June saw the launch of the Irish Commission
for Justice and Social Affairs (ICJSA) and its advisory board.
The ICJSA is a commission of the Irish Catholic Bishops’
Conference and combines the work of the previous Irish Commission
for Justice and Peace and the Council for Social Welfare.
It is chaired by Bishop Raymond Field and its role is to support
the bishops in promoting the social teaching of the Church
and to advise on issues of social concern nationally and internationally;
the other members are Most Rev Diarmuid Martin, Most Rev Colm
O’Reilly, Most Rev John Kirby and Most Rev Gerard Clifford;
the members of the advisory board are Mr Justin Kilcullen
(Trócaire), Ms Deirdre Carroll (NAMHI), Mr David Begg
(ICTU), Rev Dr Eoin Cassidy (Mater Dei), Prof William Binchy
(TCD), Prof Patricia Casey (Mater Hospital, Dublin), Sr Joan
Roddy (Refugee Project), Prof Patrick Murphy (Rostrevor),
Fr Timothy Bartlett (Secretary of ICJSA), Mrs Anne Gibson
(Fermanagh), Sr Maureen O’Connell (Presentation Justice
Network), Prof Ray Kinsella (Smurfit Business School), Ms
Sylvia Thompson (Kerry Diocesan Justice, Peace and Creation
Committee), Prof Eda Sagarra (TCD), Ms Paula Dowd (HEO and
Researcher for ICJSA) and Mr Martin Long (Director of Communications,
Irish Bishops’ Conference). An immediate statement from
ICJSA at the time of its launch called for the Irish Government
to honour the UN aid target of 0.7% of GNI. Priorities will
be set in due course in consultation between the commission
and advisory board. ICJSA contact points: ICJSA, Columba Centre,
Maynooth, Co Kildare, e-mail
icjsa@iecon.ie and phone 01 – 5053016.

Glencree Summer School
/ Glencree Education Jobs
Summer School takes place from 26 - 28 August on the topic
“Are we all minorities now?” .In the context of
new challenges, where people from both parts of Ireland are
challenged to understand and accommodate a broader range of
cultural diversity than has previously been the case, the
same old question of “how do we accommodate diversity”?
still requires an answer. By working towards an answer, the
Glencree Summer School seeks to promote a sense of shared
responsibility for our past and for our future. The Glencree
Centre for Reconciliation believes that the healing of the
wounds from our troubled past and the building of inclusive
societies in Ireland North and South is a responsibility which
we all share regardless of our position in those societies.
A broad range of representatives with political, religious,
business and a variety of community interests will inform
and stimulate the discussion and debate. The cost of residential
participation in the Glencree Summer School is €150/STG£100
which includes all meals, accommodation in shared rooms and
summer school fees. The non-residential cost which includes
all meals and summer school fees is €100/STG£75.
You can enquire about the limited number of bursary places.
To register, please complete the registration form available
from: Helen Browne, Summer School Secretariat, Glencree Centre
for Reconciliation, Glencree, Co.Wicklow. Phone: 01 –
2829711 or email: info@glencree-cfr.ie and http://www.glencree.ie

Glencree is currently looking for an Education
and Training Development Officer to work as part of the Education
Team in the development and accreditation of training for
volunteers, staff and client groups; further info from, and
applications (by CV) by 8th July to Conn Mulvenna, Education
Centre Manager at Glencree, education@glencree-cfr.ie

It is also looking for occasional facilitators
for its Peace Education Programme at primary and secondary
level; further details and application form also from Conn
Mulvenna.

Irish Centre for Human
Rights, Galway
The Irish Centre for Human Rights was founded at the beginning
of 2000 and is dedicated to the study and promotion of human
rights and humanitarian law. It has a director (Prof William
Schabas) and 4 permanent lecturers, and other additional lecturers
and doctoral fellows. It is autonomous but based at the National
University of Ireland, Galway. It engages in teaching where
it has an LLM programme in International Human Rights Law
and also in Peace Support Operations, as well as a PhD programme,
and it participates in the European Master's Degree in Human
Rights and Democratisation (E.MA). It is also involved in
a variety of research and advocacy projects which range from
addressing legal issues of a domestic nature, those specific
to transitional justice situations and the adoption of international
human rights standards abroad. It runs two summer schools,
a Minority Rights Law Summer School which took place in June,
and an International Criminal Court Summer School which runs
from 9th – 14th July - speakers at this year’s
course include Judge Sang-Hyun Song of the International Criminal
Court and Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch. There are
still a limited number of places available for the course,
for further details and online
registration. ICHR publishes a quarterly news Bulletin
which is available on its website and gives up to date information
on events and publications. Irish Centre for Human Rights,
NUI Galway, Galway, ph 091 – 493948, Fax 091 494575,
e-mail humanrights@nuigalway.ie
and web

Journey towards healing
– Trauma
Trauma is not an area where many of us are, or feel, competent,
and where we do not feel competent we are wise to be wary
of being involved. But on the other hand, feeling that something
is beyond us can mean it is poorly understood and therefore
we are unable to help those who might need our assistance.
A useful resource “Journey towards healing – A
faith-based resource on trauma” has been published by
the Victims Unit of OFMDFM in Northern Ireland (based on work
by an inter-faith group). While this grows out of the experience
of the Troubles, it is specifically geared to assist with
any kind of trauma – the case studies mentioned in the
booklet include trauma through the Troubles, suicide, car
accident, and racist attack. The 20 page booklet includes
brief information on understanding trauma, recognising trauma
symptoms, trauma and faith, trauma and grief, and helpful
hints, as well as support contacts in Northern Ireland (the
material is useful more widely). The booklet is published
by the Victims Unit of OFMDFM (Office of the First Minister
and Deputy First Minister, and e-mail info@victimsni.gov.uk)
but is online on a separate
website.

One minute for Peace……
Pax Christi Ireland is endorsing the initiative to observe
One Minute for Peace at 11:02am on Tuesday the 9th August,
the 60th Anniversary of the last major humanitarian catastrophe
of the Second World War (the Nagasaki bombing).

Meanwhile on that day, 9th August, Pax Christi
have a day long programme of events for World Culture of Peace
Day in Cork (see NN129); events run from 10 a.m. through to
the evening, for full details e-mail cultureofpeace@eircom.net
or phone Gearóid Duffy at 021 – 4541207. Pax
Christi Ireland is at 52 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6, phone
01- 496 5293, e-mail info@paxchristi.ie

Reconciliation : rhetoric
or relevant?
Reconciliation can be a difficult term which some people are
afraid to use, or else disagree with, partly because it can
be seen as having connotations of giving up cherished possessions
in terms of identity and heritage – or even a threat
to our own justified prejudices! A current project of Democratic
Dialogue (DD) is putting the whole area under the spotlight.
Democratic Dialogue Report 17, “Reconciliation: rhetoric
or relevant”, edited by Gráinne Kelly and Brandon
Hamber, was published earlier this year based on a round table
discussion in 2004, and another report is due this September.
DD Report 17 is 60 pages and includes material by Luc Huyse,
Colin Craig, Gráinne Kelly and Brandon Hamber, Ed Garcia,
Avila Kilmurray, Noreen Callaghan, and Monica McWilliams;
it is a broad-ranging but also detailed look at the topic
mainly in the Irish context but with considerable international
input. ISBN 1 900281 16 3, price £7.50 individuals/£10
institutions/£4 unwaged.

Report 18 will be entitled “A place for
reconciliation” and written entirely by Gráinne
Kelly and Brandon Hamber; this looks in detail at a study
of the concept of reconciliation in three district council
areas in Northern Ireland. What emerged was an uneasiness
with the concept and a vagueness about its meaning –
and a question mark over the capacity of councils, expected
by the ‘A Shared Future’ policy framework to generate
good relations strategies, to rise above local sectarian politics.
But the definition of reconciliation advanced by the researchers
has been taken up by the Special EU Programmes Body for Peace
II.

MNI Plans
Mediation Northern Ireland have produced a corporate plan
which sets out their agenda for the next three years. They
say that as a mediation development agency, their intention
is to be a resource to the growing field of mediation practitioners
through the provision of training, the facilitation of learning
and the development of practice. Copies of the plan are available
from MNI's office. It will be on their website from August.
MNI, 83 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HP, phone 028 - 90438614,
e-mail info@mediationnorthernireland.org
and web http://www.mediationnorthernireland.org

EAPPI opportunities
As Paul Riordan from Northern Ireland goes out for a tour
with EAPPI, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine
and Israel, opportunities exist for service in 2006 based
in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. EAPPI accompanies
Palestinians and Israelis in their nonviolent actions and
advocacy to end the occupation. Contracts are for 3 months
and people should be involved with ecumenical and/or peace
networks in Britain or Ireland, mature (preferably over 25),
committed to nonviolence etc. Deadline for applications is
12th August this year. Application
packs available or contact: Lynda MacInnes & Teresa
Parker, EAPPI Programme Coordinators, QPSW, 173 Euston Rd,
London NW1 2BJ. Phone 020 7663 1144, e-mail: eappi@quaker.org.uk

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